Harlan's Day Out
by Jonchp99
Summary: Harlan has always wanted to be an officer. Ponch helps him out.


**Harlan's Day Out:**

**"If I were sure I'd never be caught, I just might find a uniform that fits, **

**hop on a motor, and be an officer for a day." Harlan was in the break room**

**having lunch with a handful of officers. He was bemoaning the fact that **

**he was two inches too short to be one. They had heard it all before.**

**Ponch jumped up. "Well! Come on, let's do it then Harlan. Let's make you **

**an officer for a day."**

**"What?" Harlan spluttered. "I didn't mean it."**

**"Yeah, Harlan an officer, what an interesting thought." Artie Grossman **

**joined in. "We'll get a uniform from Bonnie, umm... boots from Kathy, **

**a motor from... well anyone's motor will do. What else do we need?"**

**"You need your head's examined, that's what you need!" Harlan looked **

**like he was about to go into shock. "I'd...we would never get away with it."**

**"I reckon we would Harlan." Ponch walked around the break room ticking **

**off his fingers. "Bates is away in Sacramento for the week, Joe has the day **

**off, Jon's in court this afternoon, you can take his motor and I'll ride with **

**you. What do you say?"**

**Harlan thought for a moment. "Would I get to use the lights and siren?"**

**"You betcha."**

**Harlan's face lit up and his eyes gleamed. "Let's do it!"**

**"Right on!" Ponch got organized and before Harlan knew what had **

**happened, he was handed boots and a uniform to put on. He scooted**

**away to the locker room to get changed. **

**"Are we doing the right thing Ponch?" Grossie now looked concerned.**

**"Relax. I'll be right there next to him. Look on the bright side Grossie, if **

**this works Harlan might stop going on about his two inches."**

**"And if it doesn't work?"**

**Ponch grinned. "Well, we're screwed then!"**

**Jon stuck his head in the doorway. "I'm off to court now Ponch, I'll catch**

**you later, ok?"**

**"Yeah Jon. Oh Jon, Harlan needs to do some work on your motor, can you **

**take a cruiser to court?"**

**Jon looked puzzled. "He didn't mention it to me, but sure if he needs it."**

**He looked at his watch. "I'd better hurry. Catch ya!"**

**"Don't look at me like that Grossie, its better that Jon doesn't know...he **

**umm might not agree."**

**There was a sound of a throat being cleared, Ponch and Grossie both **

**turned around and stared. Harlan was standing in the doorway dressed **

**in his 'uniform.' Bonnie's shirt was still too big for him, but it was passable.**

**Her pants were too long but tucked into Kathy's boots, Harlan could get **

**away with them. The boots were too big, but Harlan had shoved newspaper**

**into the toes which solved that problem. "Well guys, what do you think?"**

**Ponch and Grossie looked at each other and tried not to laugh, finally **

**Grossie spoke. "Ah good Harlan, but... something's missing... oh yes! **

**Gun belt. You need a gun belt." **

**"Grossie's right, you do need a gun belt, but I'm afraid I'm drawing the line at **

**getting you a gun."**

**Harlan grinned at them. "That's ok I've got a gun belt out in the garage."**

**"Have you?" Ponch and Grossie spoke as one.**

**Harlan blushed. "Yeah, it's an old one that someone had broken, I cut it back**

**to make it fit me, I've got cuffs and a pocket knife, and a gun as well for it."**

**Harlan saw the shocked looks on their faces and quickly added. "Oh it's only**

**a toy gun, but it looks real when it's in the belt."**

**"Harlan, just what do you do with a gun belt out in the garage?" Ponch asked.**

**Harlan turned a deeper shade of red. "I put it on when I take the motors out for **

**a test run, it... it makes me feel like one of you."**

**"Fair enough!" Ponch headed for the door. "Well! Are you coming or not,**

**partner?"**

**"Partner. Hmm I like the sound of that." Harlan ran after Ponch. "Do I get a **

**call sign?"**

**Grossie followed them out the door muttering to himself. "What is Ponch **

**thinking? He'll never get away with this. Gosh! What was I thinking, I've **

**helped him do it."**

**Harlan got his gun belt on, found the spare CHP helmet he used for road tests,**

**he was ready to go. He joined Ponch over at the motor pool. "Just one thing**

**Harlan, I'm the boss out there. Ok!" **

**"10-4 partner!" Harlan mounted up on Jon's motor and followed Ponch out **

**onto the freeway. **

**The first hour was routine police work, they pulled over a couple of speeders**

**and gave out tickets. Harlan was thoroughly enjoying himself, even though **

**he had been given some strange looks. They got back on the motors after **

**giving out the last ticket, when Harlan asked. "Can we use the lights and siren **

**for the next one Ponch, and when do I get to use the radio?"**

**Ponch sighed, he was beginning to regret this. "I told you before Harlan, you **

**can't use the radio, someone will hear you and our game will be up."**

**"10-4 partner."**

**Ponch groaned. "And can you stop with the 10-4."**

**"10-4."**

**Ponch just shook his head, just what was he thinking bringing Harlan out here.**

**They headed over to the Glendale overpass, a favourite hunting ground for **

**Ponch and Jon. Ponch hoped that if nothing much was happening, Harlan **

**would get bored and want to go back. No such luck.**

**Harlan picked up the radio mic and pretended to talk into it. "LA 15 7 Mary 22 **

**and 4, we are currently 10-20 on the Glendale overpass, there is a 11-80 and **

**we need an 11-41,11-84 and 11-99. This is a code-3, repeat code-3."**

**Ponch was about to yell at Harlan, when he noticed a car out of control on **

**the freeway below them. "Come on Mary 22, we need to go, and you can **

**use the lights and siren."**

**Ponch took off with Harlan not far behind, lights and siren blaring. Harlan **

**was a good rider and he was able to keep up with Ponch. They quickly got **

**the car in their sight, but as they caught up to it the driver panicked and the **

**car spun out of control, crashing into the side rail. Ponch pulled up first and **

**checked on the driver, he needed an ambulance. Without thinking Ponch **

**called out to Harlan. "Get on the radio, we need an ambulance here."**

**Harlan didn't hesitate. "LA 15 7 Mary 22 and 4, we need an 11-41 at..." He **

**looked over at Ponch. "Where are we?"**

**Ponch groaned to himself before answering. "Southbound on the Ventura**

**Freeway, at the Hollywood East off ramp."**

**Harlan repeated what Ponch had told him and the ambulance was on its way.**

**It soon arrived and the driver was taken away. **

**Ponch and Harlan got back on their motors. "You know what Harlan? You **

**sounded pretty good using the radio, one problem though, we don't have **

**a Mary 22."**

**Harlan grinned. "Yeah, I know, it's my birthday."**

**"We could've got away with this you know, but I reckon we'll be found **

**out now." **

**Harlan kept grinning. "But I sounded convincing, didn't I? Nobody will **

**pick up on it."**

**Ponch just shook his head. "Come on, we might as well head back to Central."**

**A couple of minutes later their radios sprung into life and Jon's rather amused **

**voice could be heard. "7 Mary 3, Mary 4 do you copy?"**

**"10-4 Mary 3 come in Jon."**

**"Can you and... umm Mary 22 10-19 back to Central. We seem to be missing a**

**mechanic back here, and I'm missing a motor as well."**

**"10-4. Mary 4 out."**

**"Well Harlan, the games up, we nearly got away with it."**

**Harlan just kept grinning. "Yeah, but hasn't this just been the BEST DAY ever, **

**what a day out it's been. Thanks Ponch. Thanks very much for doing this for me."**

**Ponch returned the grin. "No problem Harlan." And he thought to himself, no **

**matter what trouble I get into, it's been worth it just to see the look of happiness **

**on his face. **


End file.
